The international community called Friday on the UN to act against an "outrageous escalation" of violence in Syria after the death of over 300 people in the central town of Traimseh countries. The opposition denounced this latest massacre while the regime said it was part of a counter-terrorist operation.

The international envoy to Syria, Kofi Annan, said that Damascus had "flouted" the UN resolutions by making use of heavy weapons near Hama (center) and Secretary General of UN Ban Ki- moon denounced "an outrageous escalation".

According to Ban Ki-moon, the inability of the Security Council to put pressure on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is equivalent to granting a "license to murder". It is now "imperative" that the Security Council push for the peace plan to be implemented and that it "sends a message to all sides that there will be consequences for non-compliance."

According to press reports, over 300 people, including dozens of rebel fighters were killed in bombings and fighting Thursday in the Sunni town of Traimseh. Dozens of people were "summarily executed", some with knives, and 17 people, including women and children, were killed while trying to flee Traimseh.

The Syrian army has said it carried out "a unique operation" in Traimseh that resulted in "destroying hideouts of terrorist groups, the death of a great number of their members, but with no civilian victims."

According to an opposition activist, the vast majority of victims were members of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) against whom the army retaliated with reinforcements after an attack against a convoy.

On its part, the Syrian National Council (SNC), the main opposition coalition, talked about the most "infamous genocide committed by the regime" and urged the Security Council to adopt a binding resolution "urgently".

Robert Mood, Chief of UN observers in Syria whose operations are suspended due to the growing violence, said his men were ready to go to investigate Traimseh events if cease-fire is established.

Meanwhile, the Saudi ambassador to Lebanon, Ali Awad Assiri, said in an interview published earlier this week that Washington "will use a military force against the Syrian regime" in the last month of this year."The international community will change its handling of the Syrian issue," he said in an interview with the Lebanese daily al-Akhbar. He added: "The United States and NATO will lead the attack against Damascus "without a decision by the UN Security Council.